while today

What is the gift of tongue speaking?  In Acts chapter two we first see this gift given by the Spirit.  We read, “And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. (Acts 2:2-4 NASB95) The Holy Spirit gave the apostles this miraculous ability to speak in other tongues. 

What does this mean?  If we read on in this text, we see that at the time of Pentecost there were Jews and proselytes there from every nation under heaven.  In verses 9-11 we see that there are fifteen nationalities listed, and the apostles were able to speak each language.  We learn from this that the tongue speaking of Acts 2 was the miraculous ability to speak a known human language that one had never studied or spoken before.  Those who heard this were amazed and astonished that they were able to understand these Galileans (verse 7).

The gift of tongue speaking is also addressed in the book of 1 Corinthians, especially in chapters 12 through 14.  What do we learn here?  In 13:8 we learn that the gift of tongues will one day cease (along with the gifts of prophecy and miraculous knowledge).  We learn that tongue speaking was indeed a good, useful spiritual gift in the church of the first century and that Paul wished they all spoke in tongues (which indicates that not all Christians in Corinth did!).  But we learn that Paul wished even more that they would have the gift of prophecy because prophecy edifies the church. We see once again that tongues were known languages spoken in the world (14:10-11).  And we see that in the first century assembly of the church, tongue speaking was only to be done in the assembly if there was an interpreter (14:27).  If there was no interpreter present, the tongue speaker was to remain silent in the assembly (14:28), since uninterpreted speech would not be understood by the congregation and would not edify them.

There are religious groups that put a lot of emphasis on tongues and claim that they speak in tongues today.  Some claim they speak a language unknown to humans—perhaps an “angelic language.”  But in the scripture, we see that the gift of tongues involved speaking a known human language.  Some point to 1 Corinthians 13:1, where Paul says, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels…” as evidence that tongues can be an unknown, non-human language.  However, Paul is not saying that people did speak angelic language, but only that even if someone could, it would be meaningless without love.

Some today teach that all Christians must speak in tongues and that if one cannot, they are not a true Christian.  However, we see very clearly from scripture that not all Christians spoke in tongues in the first century.  Take another look at 1 Corinthians 14:5 where it is clear not all spoke in tongues.  Also look at 1 Corinthians 13:30 where Paul asks the church, “… all do not speak with tongues, do they?”  The implied answer is no, they did not.   

—Scott Colvin